July 24, 2024
Day 16: Three Forks to Whitehall
My room felt relatively cool by morning, but the hallway and lobby were cooler. I'm tired of restaurant breakfasts, so I had Cheerios and boiled eggs in my room. My stomach wasn't feeling well, and I threw up before finishing breakfast. On the road at 8:20 with an empty stomach.
The riding was easy. Upstream in the valley of the Jefferson river, frequently close to the river. This would be a very bad time to encounter a 6% grade. Fortunately the grades were all gentle. No need to work hard.
I left Three Forks on US 287. It has a shoulder for the first few miles, but then 10 miles with no shoulder. Most of the traffic is big trucks.
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I should have good views of big mountains to my left, but they are barely visible in a smoky haze. Smoke was visible all day today. Smoke seemed to weaken the sun and lower the temperature. High of 91F today compared to 99F yesterday.
Scenery was good but the truck traffic required almost constant attention.
I stopped at a ranch entrance to look at a metal sculpture of a horse with a saddle but no rider. No tribute sign explaining why.
Traffic was lighter after I turned right onto MT 2, climbing away from the river. I stopped to look at an interesting log cabin near the highway, behind an unlocked gate. It turns out that the 1910 Parker homestead belongs to Montana State Parks. The 2 room cabin has been stabilized. There is also an outhouse and a hand water pump. Interpretive sign near the cabin, but no sign at the gate. It's kind of a stealth park.
I couldn't help noticing that my house is 27 years older than the ruins of Parker homestead.
MT 2 is a decent cycling route despite having no shoulder. Traffic is light. MT 2 gently climbs several hundred feet. I was able to eat a cookie now and then.
The descent to Jefferson river had wide open views, but the tallest most distant mountains were barely visible. They blend into the silvery smoky sky.
I pedaled more than a mile past a ranch that will host the Headwaters Country Jam 3 day music festival this weekend. It's only Wednesday but the property is all set up and 5th wheel trailers are already arriving to get a good spot near the stage. Late arrivals have to park a mile from the amphitheater. The weather forecast calls for highs in the 80s this weekend. That's nice for outdoor concerts, but dry camping with thousands of other trailers is not my idea of fun, especially when many trailers run generators for A/C.
Near the summit of the big climb I stopped to rest in the shade at the entrance to Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. I read a couple of signs, but didn't consider pedaling up the dead end road for a cave tour.
I enjoyed the gentle descent to the Jefferson river. It felt good to get some air flow after slowly going uphill. I could see a canyon ahead.
The Jefferson River canyon is a great surprise. North facing slopes are somewhat forested. South facing slopes are desert-like.
Jefferson river canyon is not as long or as impressive as Wind River canyon in Wyoming. But it's greener and has less traffic.
I stopped to look at the ruins of a place called LaHood Auto Camp. A gas station, store and lodge were built in 1928, but have burned. The only remaining structure is a motel building built in 1933. The trees gave me rare shade. It's in the hills, not near the river.
Today's route was on highways miles south of I-90. I enjoyed the escape after following I-90 for days. The final couple miles to Whitehall are close to I-90. After Whitehall I turn away from I-90 for good.
Whitehall is another small town with a one-sided downtown strip that faces railroad tracks. The old downtown is still standing, but the focus of activity in Whitehall is now closer to the I-90 exit.
I arrived at Jefferson Inn at 1:30 and was able to get my room right away. Temperature was 85F and rising. It felt good to get out of the heat. I went across the street to KFC to get a sandwich. I took a nap from 2:45 to 5:30, then pedaled half a mile back to downtown to have dinner at the Two Bit Saloon. They were busy but it was good. The only other choices were KFC, A&W, and Subway.
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I did very well today considering that I started on an empty stomach and had no lunch stop. Terrain was not flat, but grades were gentle and the temperature was pleasant.
Home for the next two nights is Jefferson Inn, across from a truck stop at an I-90 exit. The only motel in town. It has good A/C, fridge, microwave, and convenient services. Functional, but it has none of the rustic western charm that I have been seeking during this tour.
Distance: 35.5 miles
Average Speed: 8.5 mph
Ascent/Descent: +1125/-816 feet
Today's ride: 35 miles (56 km)
Total: 623 miles (1,003 km)
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Well, there's the Whitetail Creek motel (which doesn't look too appealing at all), and you were just about 2 weeks early for the grand opening of the Twila hotel; https://www.whitehallledger.com/story/2024/08/07/business/enjoy-twilight-at-the-twila-for-grand-opening-this-thursday/8422.html
Whitehall is located along what I hope to be my next bike tour, so I have researched lodging options. FWIW, I was also planning to stay at the Jefferson Inn, although the Twila might be an interesting backup plan now.
3 months ago
I read the Twila article from your link. The article has a lot of words but not much useful information such as number and type of rooms. Not even a picture of the entire building. The pictures look like an Airbnb house rental.
3 months ago